I needed to write this.  You see, I’m keen as mustard to get a group of friends and my wife to do the East Gippsland Rail Trail with me early next year.  Across several days of joyous cycling and grazing.  The problem is that none of them are keen cyclists.   So they need enticing; and some training; and some enticing; and some…  you get the picture.

I thought of doing small cafe runs for inspiration.  The focus is having some form of reward at the end of a ride or break mid way.  Not too arduous.  Where the ride was about the journey and social experience.  With this in mind,  I thought I would seek out cafe’s along Moonee Ponds Creek Trail.

The rule of thumb was that the cafe’s have to be directly on the bike path or directly accessible off it.  None of this having to use Google maps to find them.  The second rule was that it had to be a cafe; it has to serve coffee, pastries and maybe breakfast – lunch is a bonus.  I have one exception to that, but more of that later.

This trail is bookended by cafe’s.    Woodlands Homestead in Greenvale and Port Phillip Ferry Terminal in Docklands, roughly 32 kms apart.

 

 

When I started this discovery, I thought there was going to be a dearth of cafe’s along the route; Westmeadows and maybe Oak Park near the tennis club, came to mind, but that was it.

I was very surprised when I did the research.  There are cafe’s stops about every 8 k’s or so.  Perfect for a 16, 32, 48 or 64 km round trip.  Sounds great for rail trail training and also (maybe) taught me a thing or two about smelling the flowers, not just zeroing in on the ride.  If you start north,  it’s  a downhill coast and you get to fuel up before stimulating those endorphins on the pedal back.  If you want to go straight to the trail marker below, you can check out the cafes and landmarks to help you spot when you’re close.  If not, read on!

Greenvale

Woodlands Homestead.  Living Legends.  The start of the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail and just an extraordinary place.  If you haven’t experienced it, do yourself a favour.

Westmeadows

Smack on 8 kms from Woodlands Homestead in Greenvale is the village of Westmeadows, which has a couple of cafes to choose from.  If you cross this bridge, you’re on the wrong side of the creek.  Keep to the right and once you see a wall mural, you’re there!

There are a couple of cafes here.  One at the mural and another just the either side of the IGA. 

Oak Park

Journey on another seven to eights kms and you come across a gem in Oak Park.  Across the creek, between the tennis club and the footy ground is a perfect brunch stop. 

You will know that you are getting close when you spot the soccer ground, after which is the little footbridge where you need to cross the creek.  Weave between the sporting clubs and it is directly in front of you.

 

Essendon

Feeling more likely Moonee Ponds, but it is technically Essendon, six kilometers on, the path breaks out into quiet suburban streets, away from the creek for a little bit.  Here there is another batch of cafes.  Turn right at Tennyson St and you will see a cafe immediately in front on you. 

This cafe has a great view of the park, which serves as a landmark that you are in the right place.    Sitting at this cafe, you spot another one just 50 metres or so on the left, in Albion St.  You are spoilt for choice.

 

Brunswick West

I did say that I had an exception to the cafe rule.  It does serve coffee – of the Vietnamese iced kind.  You see, my wife loves Banh Mi and directly off the trail – I would call this a cyclist’s hidden laneway – is a nondescript Vietnamese takeway, less than 2 kms further on from Essendon.     Head back down Albion St, jump on the creek trail to your right and before you know it, you will come across a quirky street sign to Evans St, leading you to a foot/cycle bridge across the Tulla Freeway.   The view of the creek is worth taking in, the cars on the freeway, not so much.

   

Cross the bridge, climb a couple of hundred metres up Hope St, spot the poster advertising on the walls (like a beacon if in inner city Melbourne aren’t they?), peak your head around the corner and there it is!

Docklands

Docklands is the end of the journey (for me at least.  It could be your start!).  I gotta say,  the precinct is a bit soulless and lacking in cafe’s, which is a shame.  If you notice the map, I wandered a bit in the search for something, but the cow in the tree marks the end of the journey, 8 1/2 k’s further on from Brunswick.   The terminal cafe feels exactly like that, but the views of the waterfront and Dockland Stadium (if you’re a sports nut) are very good .

 

There you have it.  Quite a foodie’s delight really.   I really hope that this inspires my friends to get into training.   If I have missed any out or you want some cafe reviews, let me know.   There is the  potential in footy season to add Westmeadows and Strathmore footy canteens to the mix.  Watch out for that!  I did notice opportunities to change it up, with drinks and nibbles, but that is for another blog and another time of day.

Get on your bike!  Smell the flowers (and coffee roasting!!).